The new year brings many things, including parties and fireworks as people count down to the stroke of midnight. For some, it brings a fresh start, a promise of change – the idea that this will be “the year” for them, the one in which they will change something to
better themselves.
Traditionally, this is called a New Year’s resolution. Some may try to quit a nasty habit, to do better at work or to save more money. Many resolutions involve fitness. Whether it’s losing weight, hitting the gym or eating better, the most common resolutions have to do with getting in shape.
According to statisticbrain.com, one of the most popular goals for the new year is to lose weight, with 38 per cent of people vowing weight-related resolutions. But how many people are able to
actually stick to their New Year’s plan?
The answer: So few that Jan. 17 is known as “ditch your New Year’s resolution day.” While people may have started off the year wanting to get fit, their plans quickly die off.
Cathy Treusch, the general manager of Goodlife Fitness on Highland Road in Kitchener, said most people join in January and, unfortunately, don’t continue to use the gym. Although she didn’t know the statistics, she said, “A huge percentage don’t continue after three months.”
According to moneysense.ca, 75 per cent of people who join the gym only actually use the facility a total of six
times.
“If the average annual gym membership is roughly $500, that equates to $83 per workout.”
So, how can you stick to your New Year’s resolution?
First, make sure that you’ve made the right resolution. Don’t just vow to do something you hate, just because you think you should. For example, exercising: don’t make it a resolution just because it’s a chore and you think if you make it a resolution, you’ll actually do it. Ensure that it’s something you
really want.
In a TED Talk, Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist, said, “The kind of New Year’s resolution that works is when you start really slowing down and asking yourself what you want for yourself and your life in the next year.
“What is it that you want to offer the world? Who do you want to be? What do you want more of in your life? And then asking: How might I get there? What would create that as a consequence?”
If you choose the right resolution, you’ll have less trouble achieving your goals.